


I don't like a gold rush

by alteridemlynch



Series: Pynch as taylor swift songs [4]
Category: Dreamer Trilogy - Maggie Stiefvater, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Cute Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish, M/M, Pining, Pining Ronan Lynch, Ronan Lynch Has Feelings, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish, based on the taylor swift song "gold rush", basically ronan is OBSESSED with adam but tells himself he can't like him because everyone else does, lots of pining and thinking about adam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alteridemlynch/pseuds/alteridemlynch
Summary: Adam Parrish was like gold, and the entirety of Aglionby Academy was trying to get even richer. Even Gansey and Noah were somehow dumbfounded by him, inviting him to Nino’s and asking about his personal life.Ronan very pointedly decided that he did not like Adam. He couldn’t like Adam, simply because everyone else did.Except Ronan had one problem: he did like Adam, more than he ever wanted to admit.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch & Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: Pynch as taylor swift songs [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058669
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	I don't like a gold rush

**Author's Note:**

> \-- in this, Aglionby is Co-Ed  
> \-- Adam is also very popular in this AU

_**I don't like a gold rush, gold rush** _   
_**I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush** _   
_**I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch** _   
_**Everybody wants you** _   
_**Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you** _   
_**Walk past, quick brush** _   
_**I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush** _   
_**I don't like that falling feels like flying till the bone crush** _   
_**Everybody wants you** _   
_**But I don't like a gold rush** _

Ronan Lynch did not follow the norm.

Most teenagers spent precious time fixing their hair in the morning; Ronan buzzed his off. Most teenagers had dogs or cats for pets; Ronan had a raven. Most teenagers played sports or joined clubs; Ronan did street racing.

Then again, most teenagers had two living parents; Ronan didn’t.

But when the new kid at Aglionby, a transfer from the public high school, here on scholarship, arrived in his Latin class the first Monday of senior year, he found himself like the rest of the teenagers around him: absolutely fascinated and transfixed by one Adam Parrish.

Adam was smart; i _ncredibly_ smart. Adam was attractive; i _nsanely_ attractive. Adam was likable; _so fucking likable._

The whole school, teachers included, quickly fell in love with him: his charm, his mind, his humor. There was something magnetic about him, something intangible that drew people into him wherever he went. Everyone was desperate to ask him for homework help, or sit with him at lunch, or to be on his team for gym class. For some unknown reason, everyone wantedto be around him, within his circle, his _pull._

Adam Parrish was like gold, and the entirety of Aglionby Academy was trying to get even richer. Even Gansey and Noah were somehow dumbfounded by him, inviting him to Nino’s and asking about his personal life.

Ronan very pointedly decided that he _did not_ like Adam. He _couldn’t_ like Adam, simply because everyone else did.

Except Ronan had one problem: he _did_ like Adam, more than he ever wanted to admit.

He liked him _a lot._ He was just as enamored by him as everyone else seemed to be, and it was pure torture.

In Latin class, Ronan sat and watched that back of Adam’s head and dreamt of running his fingers through the soft brown strands of hair.He fantasized about what it would be like to touch his hands—hands that were long and lean and rough and _hot—_ and tried to fight the blush warming his cheeks.

 _I would die to feel your touch_ he thought, growing even warmer. Ronan blinked, trying to push the vision away, and looked around at his fellow classmates. The girl next to Adam was not-so-casually twirling her hair.. The boy in front of him kept looking back over his shoulder every time Adam answered a question, admiring him as he spoke the ancient language effortlessly.

 _Fuck_ , he thought. He didn’t even know if Adam was _single,_ or if he liked boys for that matter. And if he was, if he did . . . well, he’d have his pick of literally anyone in this stupid high school.

Why would he ever choose Ronan?

No, Ronan could not like Adam Parrish. It would never happen; could never be. So why bother getting his hopes up?

————

“Adam’s going to come over in a bit to study for chem. Do you want to join us?” Gansey asked, standing in Ronan’s doorframe.

Ronan almost blushed instinctively at the mention of his name, but quickly recovered and schooled his face. The dumb thing was he wanted to, he _so fucking wanted to_ study, if only to watch Adam talk, to watch his hands hold a pencil, to watch him do anything and everything. But he couldn’t say that to Gansey. So instead: “Have I ever wanted to study, Dick?” he scoffed.

Gansey just shrugged. “No, but it never hurts to ask. We’re gonna order pizza or something, though, so let me know if you want anything,” Gansey said before closing the door.

Okay…Studying was a no. But pizza? Ronan could join Gansey and Adam for their dinner break, right? That wouldn’t be out of character for him?

“GET GARLIC KNOTS,” Ronan shouted through the doorway, knowing Gansey would hear him, and flopped back into his bed, waiting patiently for it to be an acceptable time to inquire about the food (it was only 4pm).

———

“Adam, I believe you know my roommate, Ronan,” Gansey said when Ronan exited his bedroom after seeing the pizza delivery car driving away from his window.

Adam, who was bent over his notebook writing furiously, smiled up at him briefly. “Yeah, hi,” he said before returning to his notes. His hair tousled, his sweater threadbare, his eyes tired and yet—he still looked like a god. An ethereal creature forged in gold. _What’s it like to be that beautiful?_ Ronan wondered.

Ronan took a seat on the couch next to Gansey, who was opening up the boxes of pizza and (thankfully) garlic knots. Adam finished up whatever he was writing and set aside his notebook, looking up at Ronan for real this time. “You must be very good at Latin,” he said and his voice was _butter._ That slight southern lilt? Ronan wanted to drown in it.

“What do you mean?” he stuttered out, grabbing a slice of pizza and shoving it down his throat to distract from his flushed cheeks.

Adam laughed shyly. “I might’ve looked your score when I was handing out the graded tests the other day,” he admitted, his ears turning pink. “A 97% is impressive. Especially since you apparently have no need for studying”

What was Adam _doing?_ Making conversation? Acting like they were friends? Ronan didn’t know, but it was somehow driving him crazy. He should’ve just stayed in his room and avoided this entirely.

“ _Quid me dices_ ,” Ronan just grumbled, chewing aggressively.

“Show off,” Adam smirked, taking a bite that somehow looked _seductive._ How does anyone make pizza from Nino’s look _sexy?_ Ronan wanted to fling his slice across the room. Or rip off Adam’s clothes. Or both.

“Adam was just telling me how he works at Boyd’s, Ronan!” Gansey said excitedly.

“And?” Ronan raised an eyebrow.

“And _you_ love cars, Ronan,” Gansey said, looking at him dumbly. What the fuck was _Gansey_ doing now? This whole thing was absurd.

“I’ve seen your car at school. It’s nice,” Adam added awkwardly.

“I’ve seen your car at school. It’s shit.”

Adam just laughed. “Can’t argue with that.”

Ronan looked at Adam, desperate to make him laugh again, to hear the melodious beauty of it, but Gansey began talking before Ronan even had a chance to think.

“Adam, have you by any interest, by chance, in Welsh kings?”

———

The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion:

Ronan was leaving church Sunday morning, his brothers a few feet behind him, when he turned the corner to the parking lot and—

—and there was Adam Parrish, bumping into him, shoulders brushing. Ronan’s senses exploded as he stuttered out an apology, feeling embarrassed and dumb and confused because _why was Adam Parrish at church?_

“It’s okay, Ronan,” Adam said kindly. “I probably shouldn’t have left right when church was letting out.”

“Left?" 

“Oh,” Adam said, biting his lip (and _fuck_ did Ronan want to do the same). “I, uh, live here. Above the church.” He gestured vaguely at the door on the side of the building Ronan had only vaguely noticed before.

“Okay,” Ronan nodded, wondering why Adam—star-student, divine looking Adam—would be living in a shitty apartment above a small church? It didn’t make sense. This kid was perfect in every way possible and yet here he was. But Ronan knew better than to ask; he barely knew Adam as it was and didn’t want to cross some sort of unspoken line.

Adam was staring at him with a curious expression (maybe it’s because Ronan hadn’t spoke for a solid minute) and Ronan felt his heart beating double-time. His eyes were beautiful; he felt like, if he stared long enough, he could jump into the small pools of blue and drown.

He would happily drown.

“Well, uh, see you round, Lynch,” Adam finally said, pushing past him and walking towards the parking lot, and Ronan felt his heart slow down as he watched him.

Matthew and Declan were waiting off to the side, the latter with a curious expression on his face.

“Let’s go eat,” Ronan murmured, stomping off to the BMW.

———

That night, Ronan dreamed of Adam Parrish.

He dreamed of long limbs and rough hands. Dusty hair and tan skin.

He dreamed of himself, in the tiny room above St. Agnes, walking across the wooden floors towards Adam, slumped over at his desk, studying

He dreamed of his black t-shirt hanging on the door while he slept naked, his body flush against Adam’s, his arms wrapped around him.

He dreamed of walking around Henrietta, hand-in-hand with the other boy, laughing and teasing and pulling him into a kiss.

He dreamed of everything that could never be.

He woke up, and vowed to never dream about Adam Parrish again. He couldn’t.

———

It was a quiet December night, snow falling unusually hard outside, when there was a quiet knock on the door.

“GANSEY!” Ronan called, unwilling to get out of bed to answer it, before realizing that Gansey was at his parent’s house and he was alone. Noah was gone, too, that Ronan didn’t know where (the kid barely lived here as it is). With a load groan, he rolled out of bed and trudged towards the door.

Adam Parrish was standing on the other side of it, bundled up in a ratty, puffy coat and shivering. “Uh, Gansey’s not here,” Ronan just said.

“I know,” Adam nodded. “Can I come in? It’s fucking freezing.” Ronan just stepped aside to let him in before closing the door. Adam stomped the snow off his boots and then shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the hook behind the door. “Thanks.”

“What are you doing here, Parrish?” Ronan asked. Ronan didn’t know what the fuck was happening, but wasn’t about to kick him out.

“Sorry, the power went out at St. Agnes and it’s the coldest winter Virginia’s ever seen and I thought, maybe, I could crash here tonight?”

Ronan didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse, Adam asking to stay the night. “You could’ve called and given me some warning.”

“What, were you busy?” Adam teased, knowing fully well that Ronan was not busy. He didn’t study, didn’t work, and didn’t seem to have any friends aside from Gansey. He was never busy.

“I could’ve been. You should’ve called,” Ronan protested, just because it was the easiest way to talk to Adam. The only way he really knew how.

“I don’t have your number.”

“You could’ve called Gansey and gotten my number.”

“I don’t have a phone,” Adam admitted, and Ronan found himself going quiet. _Who doesn’t have a phone?_ There was so much he didn’t know about Adam; maybe he wasn’t the golden boy everyone worshipped. Maybe he was someone more. Someone Ronan wanted to know, to really know.

“You can sleep in Gansey’s bed if you want. His mom has some stupid event this weekend, so he won’t be back.”

“The couch is fine. Thanks,” Adam said, taking a seat and leaning back into the cushion.

Ronan just stood there, unsure of what to do. Should he go back to his room? Resume doing nothing?

“You wanna watch something?” Ronan asked dumbly.

“Sure,” Adam smiled, the color in his cheeks fading as he warmed up. Ronan sat down on the opposite end of the couch, keeping a cushion between them, and turned on the TV. He began scrolling through Netflix. “Tell me if anything looks good.”

“I don’t really watch TV, so whatever is fine,” Adam shrugged. Ronan gave him a curious look before returning to the screen. He eventually settled on a _Home Alone_ (it was December after all) and clicked the _play_ button.

“You ever seen this?”

“No, actually. Though I’ve heard of it,” Adam told him. “Is it good?”

“Yeah. It’s a fucking _classic,”_ Ronan grinned.

“Then I’m fucking ready,” Adam joked and Ronan wanted to burst. _What the fuck is happening?_ he thought to himself as the movie began. Adam Parrish was here, in his apartment, sitting next to him, watching a movie like they were on some kind of date.

 _It’s just because his heat is out,_ Ronan had to remind himself, which made him notice the way Adam was curling his arms around his body.

“You cold?” he asked.

Adam looked down at his arms and shrugged. “Uh, yeah, a little.”

“I can get you a blank—“

“Just come here,” Adam said, gesturing for Ronan to scoot closer. Ronan’s mouth opened as he screamed internally. When Ronan didn’t make any sign of moving closer, Adam shifted over to his side of the couch, their shoulders and thighs touching. “Better,” Adam said, returning his gaze to the screen.

Ronan swallowed hard.

He didn’t focus the rest of the movie—he was more enamored by the sound fo Adam’s laugh or the dimples on his cheeks. He probably watched more of Adam than the movie, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t help himself; Adam was right there, next to him.

“Did you like it?” Ronan asked when it ended, the credits scrolling.

“Yeah, it was funny,” Adam nodded. “Thanks for watching with me.”

“No problem,” Ronan said, getting ready to stand, when Adam placed a hand on Ronan’s leg, stopping him.

“Ronan,” Adam whispered.

“Yeah?” Ronan could feel himself getting pulled in by those inviting eyes again, aching to stare into them forever.

“Come ‘ere,” Adam breathed, leaning in ever-so-slightly until Ronan could feel his breath against his nose.

“Adam,” Ronan sighed and then kissed him. The kiss was soft and slow, a question, an exploration of a kiss. Ronan’s lips were soft against Adam’s chapped ones, Ronan’s hand cradling Adam’s cheek and Adam’s hand wrapping around his waist. It was tender and shy and beautiful.

He wanted this—he wanted this _so badly—_ but he couldn’t let himself want this, not fully. Not unless he knew it would be real.

“Adam, wait,” Ronan said, pulling away.

“Sorry, did I misread that or—“ Adam began, fear creeping into his expression.

“No, fuck,” Ronan grumbled, looking down. “I just . . . You’re fucking amazing, Adam, and everyone at Aglionby wants you, wants _this._ But I don’t do casual. So if that’s what you’re looking for, if you’re not serious about this, then, go find someone else,” Ronan admitted, the words spilling out of him before he had a chance to even think.

“I don’t want anyone else at Aglionby,” Adam said, brushing hand along Ronan’s neck. “I want you.”

Ronan let himself hope—hope that this fall he’d been taking for weeks wouldn’t end in a devastating crush of bones, but in a beautiful flight. “For real?”

“For real, idiot,” Adam said, punctuating his sentence with a short kiss. “I didn’t know if you even liked me, you always seemed to avoid me at every possible opportunity.” 

Ronan laughed, loud and unabashedly, blushing furiously without a care. “Yeah, cause I couldn’t stand to look at you and _not_ kiss you,” he told him. “I thought I’d die if I didn’t get to touch you, Adam, you’re so goddamn beautiful.” Now it was Adam’s turn to blush, his head ducking slightly in embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, by the way. My power didn't go out. I just, well, I wanted an excuse to come here and see you," Adam admitted and Ronan laughed. He grabbed Adam's chin, tilted it upwards and met his eyes. The other boy was staring at Ronan with the same adoration and desire he was looking at Adam with. "I'm glad your power _didn't_ go out." 

"Me too." 

Maybe, this whole time, Adam had looked at Ronan like gold, too: beautiful, longed-for, untouchable.

Ronan leaned in and kissed him again, their bodies melting against each other, and Ronan realized with relief that maybe he would someday know what it was like to love, and be loved by, Adam Parrish.

**Author's Note:**

> \-- I don’t speak latin but “quid me dicis” is, according to google translate, “what can I say.” if you actually know Latin, feel free to correct me in the comments!!
> 
> \-- if you haven't listened to Gold Rush i HIGHLY recommend it. It is an EXPERIENCE of a song
> 
> \-- let me know what taylor song I should do next! 
> 
> \-- comments make my day so please leave one if you like :)


End file.
